Carl Paladino

Hillary Clinton’s widening lead over Donald Trump is likely to affect downballot races for Congress, where there are several contested seats, and for control of the state Senate in New York, where Republicans are barely clinging to the majority.

As recently as the summer, when the presidential candidates were tied in the polls, leading New York Republicans predicted that the state would be in play for Trump — and that he could even help get downballot GOP candidates for Congress and the state Legislature elected.

Now that the Republican National Convention is over, the next step for Republicans, after the Democrats are done with their convention, is to begin the presidential general election campaign. The head of Trump’s New York campaign say he expects the state to be in play.

Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino says even though New York has many more Democrats than Republicans, Trump wants to compete against Hillary Clinton in his home state.

“We’re going to win big in Long Island and in upstate,” Paladino said. “We’re going to get crossover like you’ve never seen before.”

New York’s delegates have high hopes for their nominee Donald Trump’s speech tonight, but some also want him to tone down some of his rhetoric and act more presidential.

State GOP Chair Ed Cox said a “great acceptance speech” will help to unite the party and fire everyone up for November. He defined that as something more serious than the sometimes rambling addresses that are very popular at Trump rallies.

Ahead of the Empire State's April 19 primary, Donald Trump supporters in central New York are organizing to gain support for the presidential candidate.

In Utica's historic train station, a group of Mohawk Valley citizens gathered to say they think the country is off track and Trump is the only candidate who can help.

"We've been going in the wrong direction for too long, in particular the last eight years," Perry Onderdonk said. "He's achieved personal greatness and I think he can apply his business acumen to fixing what's wrong with our country today."

While the New York Primary is just under four months away, former gubernatorial candidate and western New York businessman Carl Paladino is encouraging Republicans to back Donald Trump's presidential bid now.

Paladino expressed his support for Trump's campaign in an open letter to the state's Republicans, and urges party leadership not to be neutral, especially with state Democratic party leaders already backing Hillary Clinton.

In Paladino's opinion, GOP leadership in New York state is too establishment-minded.

Now that this year’s elections are over, the political world is gearing up for the 2014 contests. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to seek another term, and so far no one has officially said they will run against him.

Cuomo sounded like he was in campaign mode the day after Election Day, when he celebrated the passage of a casino gambling amendment that he pushed.

“Are we fired up?” Cuomo asked a cheering crowd.

Cuomo focused on an important issue for any candidate - economic development - which he says the new casinos will bring.